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(No Model.)

C. L. WHEELER.

GAR SEAL.

No. 446,107. Patented Feb. 10,1891.

UNITED STATES ATENT QFFicE.

CLARENCE L. VHEELER, OF MARION, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEJ-IALF TO JAY W'ILLARD CLARK, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,107, dated February 10, 1891.

Application filed June 2,1890. Serial No. 353,975. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- My seal also comprises a disk or button Beitknown thatI, CLARENCE L. THEELER, composed of the outer cup G and the inner of Marion, in the county of Grant and State cup which are secured firmly together by of Indiana,haveinventedanewlmprovement drawing the flanged edge of the outer cup in Car-Seals; and I do hereby declare the folover the inner cup. The bottom of said inlowing, when taken in connection with accomner cup C of the said disk or button is propanyingdrawings and the letters of reference vided with two parallel slots D I), through maked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact which the hooks at the ends of the strap description of the same, and-which said draw are respectively inserted into the disk or to ings constitute part of this specification, and button and slid beyond each other until one represent, escapes the other, after which they are pulled Figure 1, a view in perspective of my imtogether to complete the look, as shown by proved oar-seal; Fig. 2, a view thereof in sec- Fig. 3 of the drawings. Thesehooks are elastion, showing the hooked ends of the strap tic, so that although they readily contract 1 5 just after their introduction into the disk or to pass through the slots before mentioned, button and before they are caught together and to slide by one another when introduced to form the seal; Fig. 3,a similar view showinto the disk and until they escape each ing the same parts after the seal or look has other in the disk,they then spring open again been formed; Fig. 4, a detached broken view in such a manner that their ends cannot be 20 looking upon the rear of the disk or button; cleared of each other by any direct or end Fig. 5, a view in transverse section of said thrusts of the hooks, and the hooks drawn todisk orbutton and theinner ends of the strap gether, as seen in Fig. 3, interlock with each on line a b of Fig. at; Fig. 6, a detached view, other. The width of the opening of the hook in inside elevation, of the filling for the said is greater than the distance between the face 25 disk or button; Fig. 7, a modification. side of the space in the disk and the open end My invention relates to an improvement in of the other hook. Consequently one cannot seals designed particularly for freight-cars, pass the other so as to separate the hooks to the object being to produce a simple and inpermit the withdrawal of either one or the expensive seal adapted to be operated solely other. The side or lateral manipulation of 30 by hand and sealed without the use of any the hooks is prevented by the filling-wad E, tools or stamps and constructed so that it canlocated within the disk or button, composed not be picked or opened without breaking it of paper, wood, or other suitable material and or without showing plainly that it has been provided with a recess F, formed in one of its tampered with. sides and arranged in alignment with the two 35 lVith these ends in view my invention conopenings D D, which open into its opposite sists in a strap provided at both ends with a ends. The side walls of this recess or space hook and a disk or button composed of two prevent the hooks from being moved laterally cups and a filler, one of the said cups having or sidewise and disengaged by side or lateral two slots in its bottom to receive the respectthrusts, as before referred to. It will thus be 40 ive ends of the strap and the filler having a seen that as soon as the hooked ends of the 0 recessto form a clearance-space for the same. strap have been introduced into the button My invention further consists in certain deor disk and pushed beyond each other, their tails of construction and combination of parts, ends cannot after that be cleared from each as will be hereinafter described, and pointed other, so as to permit them to be pulled out of 45 out in the claims. the button or disk. It is also apparent that My improved seal comprises a narrow fleXino instrument can be introduced into the butble sheet-metal strapA, having its ends bent ton or disk in such away as to disengage the upon themselves to form oppositely-turned hooks without defacing the seal so far as to hooks B B, which practically correspond to clearly show that it has been tampered with. 50 each other in length. Instead of preventingthe lateral movement 10o of the hooks, whereby disengagen'ient might be produced by the introduction of a filling, the inner cup may be shaped, as seen in Fig.

7, so that a diametrical recess correspondin 1. In a car-seal, the combination, With a strap provided at each end With an elastic metallic hook, of a disk or button composed of two cups secured togetherso as toleave a space between them, one of said cups constructed with two slots through which the respective hooks of the strap may be introduced, and

with a recess between the cups in line with said slots and in width corresponding substal'itially to the width of said slots, the said hooks being adapted to pass each other within the said recess and engaged by their elasticity, substantially as described.

2. In a car-seal, the combination, with a strap provided at each end with an elastic metallic hook, of a disk or button composed of two cups secured together, and a recessed fillin 54' located Within the said button or disk, one cup of which is provided with two slots in line with said recess and through which the respective hooks of the strapmay beintroduced and slid past each other, after which they expand and lock, substantially as described. CLARENCE L. \VHEELER.

Vitnesses:

M. BLUMENTHAL, JOHN WHISLER, Jr. 

